7 facts for 7 days to go: CAF Strategy Conference countdown reaches final week

With seven days to go before the CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde, preparations are entering their final phase for a gathering that will bring together some of the most influential figures in African football.

The three-day Conference will take place from 7 to 9 October 2026 in Santa Maria, Sal Island, with discussions focused on how African football can build on recent progress.

Unlike a conventional technical review, the event is expected to connect World Cup lessons with coaching development, Member Association growth and long-term sustainability.

It will also provide a platform for African coaches whose influence has grown significantly in recent years.

Here are seven facts to mark seven days to go:

• 1. It builds on the post-AFCON Coaches Symposium in Abidjan
  The Conference follows the technical exchange held after the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023, but will go further by linking tournament analysis with wider strategic planning across all 54 Member Associations.
• 2. Africa’s World Cup coaches will be central to the discussions
  Coaches who led the continent’s 10 representatives at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will share first-hand lessons on preparation, tactics, player management and high-level competition.
• 3. Local coaches are becoming more influential
  Six of Africa’s 10 teams at the 2026 World Cup were led by African coaches, reflecting the growing confidence in home-grown technical expertise.
• 4. Member Associations are expected to be major beneficiaries
  Lessons from elite competitions are intended to feed into coach education, youth development, technical structures and long-term planning across the continent.
• 5. The Conference is not only about the men’s senior game
  Women’s and youth national-team coaches will also participate, helping connect senior success with the development pathways that produce future players and coaches.
• 6. Cape Verde provides a fitting backdrop
  The host country’s historic 2026 World Cup campaign showed how clear planning, local knowledge and technical development can help smaller football nations compete globally.
• 7. The Road to 2030 is already part of the agenda
  The wider objective is to turn the lessons of 2026 into practical action, with African football looking to become more competitive, sustainable and better prepared for the next World Cup cycle.